Steelers GM Omar Khan seemingly made the right move with Chase Claypool
When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Chase Claypool in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, I believed they got a steal. At 6'4", and nearly 240 pounds the physical specimen blazed in the 40-yard dash (4.42) and jumped out of the gym, (40.5" vertical) at the 2020 NFL Combine. That explosiveness carried over into […]
When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Chase Claypool in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, I believed they got a steal.
At 6'4", and nearly 240 pounds the physical specimen blazed in the 40-yard dash (4.42) and jumped out of the gym, (40.5" vertical) at the 2020 NFL Combine.
That explosiveness carried over into a stellar rookie season that saw him record nine touchdowns, with highlight-reel catches galore. But then something happened, and Claypool failed to take the next step in Pittsburgh, leading to his departure.
We may have just found out why.
The Steelers traded Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears just before the midseason deadline this past year. The talented wideout wasn't coming along as they liked, and they received a valuable second-round pick for him.
At the time, even Steelers fans would agree that was a rich payout for a player that had only proven to be reliable for one season. But when it turned out that the Bears would finish last in the NFL standings, that second-round pick became number 32 overall for Pittsburgh, a first-rounder in any other year.
The Steelers would then use that pick to select Joey Porter Jr., who while we have to wait and see how valuable an asset he is, surely he's more appreciated by Steelers' fans.
But Chicago needed (and still does) to provide their young quarterback with bigger passing options and more downfield threats, something they wanted Claypool to provide.
But according to Marc Silverman of Waddle and Silvy on ESPN in Chicago, the Bears haven't seen that yet:
"I have heard from a few people in that building that he is not somebody who is very self-motivated. All I can tell you is that it isn't trending in a way that the Bears have wanted it to trend this offseason," Silverman said.
"Chase Claypool is a guy that they've wanted to see some things from. They have not been able to see those things from him both on and off the field. All those things don't sound great for Claypool going into training camp," Silverman added.
Still young as he approaches his 25th birthday, Claypool isn't even in the prime of his athletic peak yet. The problem seems to be related to his development off the field, however, with growing concerns about his maturity.
So while time will tell exactly how the trade plays out, Pittsburgh looks to have made out like a bandit.
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Featured image via: © Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
